


i hear them calling for you

by love4155



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Feelings, Humor, I promise, M/M, Making Love, Porn With Plot, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Wolves, mentions of abuse ., no beastiality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-17 20:29:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love4155/pseuds/love4155
Summary: We have to go. We can’t stay here,” Johnny panics, speaking more to himself than the other individual in the room, “you won’t make it.”He’s already patting his pants hurriedly in search of his phone, car keys, something. A soft voice draws his attention away for a short second.“Can’t go,” Taeyong breathes, “I’m a freak.”(Inspired by that one book Shiver.)





	1. Lone

**Author's Note:**

> hello im not really sure what this is. i hope you guys like it.

It's times like this when Johnny feels at ease. Most people would be scared to leave the house just before it gets dark, but there's something comforting about seeing the streets empty and feeling like you're the only one wandering around. Plus, someone had to go out to get snacks, and it definitely wasn't going to be Doyoung. 

 

He was much more comfortable with the area anyways, not needing to use his phone’s GPS to locate a market in order to get some things off his grandmother's list. He comes across what he's looking for, a grocery shop. He scours the isles, giving the lady at the checkout counter a polite smile as he throws a package of meat into his basket. He goes over the mental list of things he needs a couple times hoping that he remembered everything. When he gets to the snack aisle he debates over sweet or salty for awhile before he decides on both. There's nothing wrong with treating yourself every once and awhile he decides. The checkout is quick, his purchase coming to something a little less than thirty dollars. The lady comments on his hair, saying it suits him. He offers a coy smile and and thank you before he exits the shop. 

 

As he’s walking he remembers a short little detour he wants to take. A friend of his grandmothers’ owns a cute little sweet shop in this area. It doesn't take much to find it. 

 

Johnny sticks his head into the shop, relaxing at the familiar  _ ding  _ of the bell above the door. Immediately he's surrounded by warmth, and the unmistakable sweet smell of desserts. His skin stings as he feels the shivering cold leave his body, cheeks burning. It’s not long before his grandmother’s friend notices his presence, eyes lifting up from what looks like a notepad on the counter. “Oh, Youngho, I wasn’t expecting you.” she smiles sweetly, moving to slide off her stool in order to greet him before Johnny motions for her to stay put. He makes his way over, stomping the snow off his shoes so he doesn’t track it into her small cafe. “I was in the area,” he says casually, “I thought maybe I should stop by.” He tries not to think about how long its been since he's heard his Korean name. 

 

The older woman smiles, reaching over to grasp one of his much larger hands. “Such a sweet boy, your mother did a fantastic job raising you.” Johnny smiles softly, heart reeling at the woman’s words. How long has it been since he's been home? He makes a mental note to call his mother in the morning. He finds his eyes looking over the the sweet display, mind recalling how great of a baker she is. Before he can speak, she smiles at him and gestures to the cabinet. 

 

“You’re welcome to take anything you'd like. Grab some for Doyoung too, you boys are always together when you’re in town.” 

 

He nods, amazed by how keen the elders mind still was. He doesn't keep her late, knowing the shop will be closing soon as night has set over the town. He leaves a few bills on the counter, despite her protesting, and offers to walk her to her car and help close up shop. It wasn’t safe outside living in such a rural area with plenty of wildlife and animals. She shakes her head politely, assuring him that her husband would be back soon enough to help her and to not worry. She wishes him a safe journey back, and with that he moves back out into the cold, arms now heavy with a plastic bag and two slices of cake. He’s glad he didn’t dive. Really, the distance was short enough to walk, and Johnny was never afraid of the dark. 

 

He makes his way through the familiar alleyways behind the shop, knowing the area better than his own name. Of all the times he’s spent playing and causing mischief around here it only makes sense. The cold wind nips at his fingers, staggering snowflakes falling on his hair and eyelashes. He breathes in deep, relishing the fresh winter air free from pollution unlike the thick smog in Chicago. He passes by another small shopping area, stopping for a second to pick up a frosted wet newspaper. He's about to toss it into the garbage as a headline catches his attention.  _ “Forest Destroyed by City Development.”   _

 

He frowns, mind reeling about how cruel and unjust it was to destroy nature. Forests are  _ homes.  _ The more we get rid of them, the more the ones who occupy them get pushed out. Johnny takes one last look, and shreds the paper in half. He tosses it into a nearby garbage can and tries to get the jarring feeling of annoyance to subside. The streetlights define his path, wind whipping and blurring his line of vision. He tries to not think about all the strays occupying the streets tonight and focuses on getting home before the storm gets too bad. Doyoung is probably bored out of his mind.  _ That, or charming his grandmother.  _ He comes close to the familiar house, picking up the pace a little before he gets frostbite. 

 

It's not until he's almost home that he feels a presence. He stops for a second, not really knowing why. He looks around, although pointless considering he can't see necessarily see anything further than five feet away. That being said, something tells him to stay still. He’s not scared like he should be, it's most likely just a poor animal trying to stay out of the cold. Johnny tilts his head as a pair of big brown eyes come into his view. His mind lurches, the full aura of a large animal coming to view. From what he can see it looks like some sort of dog, that being said a wild one. He notices it’s big husky grey coat, looking soft to the touch although there are crumbled tree leaves littering its figure. It's not until he steps a little closer he realizes its a wolf.  Korea had plenty patches of trees, so it was no shock to see a squirrel or bird. A lone wolf was extremely odd. If Johnny knew anything, it was that they travel in packs. It is often said that wolves are fierce and vicious; creatures that are beautiful but to only be admired from afar. As the animals eyes pierce into his, he notices how reserved and docile its presence is. Almost  _ timid.  _ Johnny knows its a male from its build. It's too large and broad to be a female, but still slender enough to look fragile.

 

He's not really thinking as he steps a little closer, noticing how the creature avoids putting pressure on its left front leg.  _ He’s wounded,  _ Johnny thinks, immediately moving to search his grocery bag for the steak he purchased earlier, trying his hardest not to scare him off. His grandma wouldn’t be too mad about missing a piece of meat. 

 

Prying the package open, he slips a piece out of the package and extends his arm out towards the wolf. At first he wasn’t sure if it was going to work, knowing wild animals weren’t easy to trust humans. But as the wolf takes a step closer, then another, and  _ another,  _ he knows he's won. All of his courage leaves his body as the animal comes close enough to touch, eyes unwavering and not moving away from his figure. 

 

“Its okay,” he speaks softly although scared, dropping the piece of steak onto the snow. He watches as the pristine white color turns to red with blood. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” 

 

It’s like he understands, because with that he's snatching up the peace offering with a primal look in his eyes. It's almost scary,  _ almost,  _ because then the animal lets out a painful whimper that rattles Johnny's core. He can see from here there's a piece of a branch stuck in the bottom of his paw. The animal hesitates before lifting his paw up enough for Johnny to help him. His heart surges as he reaches out and plucks the piece of wood from the wound. It looked painful, but definitely something that would heal in no time. Being this close to the creature he can see how big and beautiful his eyes really are, and the dried blood on his muzzle.  _ He tries not to think about where it came from.  _

 

The wolf surveys him one last time, eyes staring with a sentimental gaze, almost as sign of gratitude, and then dashes off.

 

Johnny stays there for god knows how long, feeling oddly dazed by the moments occurring before. It feels like he’s in some sort of magical trance that's incredibly hard to break. He comes to his senses eventually, knowing that the longer he takes to come home, the more worried everyone will be. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


When he gets home he closes the door ever so quietly, feigning that he wasn’t  _ just  _ arriving. He shrugs off his coat and hangs it on the rack, kicking the snow off his boots in order to keep the house tidy. He knows his grandmother would have a fit if he tracked snow onto her carpet. It must be a generation thing he decides. He makes his way into the kitchen to set the bag down, giving his grandmother a quick hug. 

 

She thanks him for running her errands as if he wouldn’t do it everyday if she asks, and attempts to shoo him out of the kitchen to keep Doyoung company. Johnny paws through the grocery bag, coming across the snacks he’d purchased, but also the open package of meat. He panics slightly, suddenly offering both his and Doyoung’s help with dinner so he won't have to mention where her other piece of steak disappeared to. The encounter seemed like something he should keep to himself. 

 

“Really?” the older woman asks in response, “that sounds lovely. I’d love your help.” 

 

He smiles, feigning innocence, and dashes up the stairs to the guest room. He finds Doyoung playing a game on his switch, focused on not losing the match of Mario Kart. He looks around the room that he still wasn't used to living in. The aura of the room was cold, The furniture was antique and unwelcoming. His belongings still resided in a box labeled “Johnny’s stuff” in the closet waiting to be unpacked. The only thing showing that someone occupied the room was a few items of clothing strewn around the room and his school belongings on the oak desk. He finds it hard to believe that his mother ever called this room her own. He supposes it makes sense considering she took most of her personal belongings with her when she moved out and left everyone behind. 

 

“Dude,” he says, lifting the switch out of his friend’s hands, with much protest from the other, “We gotta help my grandma cook.”  

 

Doyoung nods, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and following Johnny down the hallway. “So you’re saying I get to learn how to cook and charm your Grandma?” he says slyly, knowing it would annoy the other. 

 

“Shut up.” Johnny laughs, making his way to the sink to wash his hands before the older woman can even remind him. Doyoung follows suit and before they know it, they’re taking unwarranted cooking lessons. Johnny makes sure to prepare the beef so no questions are asked, smiling as his grandmother guides him on slicing it correctly. Despite the woman being serious, she also had so much compassion for Johnny. Some of his fondest childhood memories were spent with her. His mother was too young for children, still in high school when he was conceived. To avoid the stigma of teenage pregnancy she moved to Chicago, gave birth, and took care of him for years, sending Johnny back to Korea often to keep his roots intact.  _ As for his dad, he’d never met the guy.  _

 

Before they know it, they have nothing left to do but wait as the stew cooks. They disperse into the living room, flipping through channels until they land on something bearable to hold them over until dinner. 

 

“So,” Doyoung says, “are you ready for classes to start back up again?” Johnny hums in response leaning further back into the couch for comfort. The short break passed by quickly, spent with Doyoung and his other friends. It's hard to believe it's almost over already. Despite how great it was to be isolated from everything, he was ready to stretch his limbs out and socialize again at university. He misses art and surprisingly enough his lectures. He can't say he misses Sicheng and Yuta flirting awkwardly in the dining hall though. 

 

He’d be back soon enough though, two more days to be exact. Maybe that would shake him out of his haze. 

 

They’re called to a quick dinner that tastes really good to his surprise, considering two young adults that don’t really know how to cook helped. They enjoy the cake, his grandmother shaking her head. She never liked sweets very much. Doyoung wishes them both a goodnight, thanks them for dinner, grabs his jacket, and is on his way home. Johnny takes that as his cue to retire to his room for the night, of course after taking a quick shower. 

 

He adds unpacking and making his room more comfortable to his mental checklist. If he’ll be living here for the school year, he might as well make it home. As he settles into the bed he hears it creak in the most comforting matter. His lights are out, room illuminated by the moonlight seeping through his window. He thinks about how cold it is, going back to school, and before he knows it he's drifting off to sleep with a wolf and it's oddly human eyes glimmering in his mind. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The last two days of break fly by faster than Johnny can remember. He spends his time cooped up in his room trying to be productive, but failing. He spends more time on his phone willing himself to read for class but he doesn't. At some point he sat with his computer in his lap looking up different breeds of wolves and folklore about what it means to interact with them. It just seemed so surreal. Johnny can't help but replay the moment in his mind over and over, even still he was far from decoding it. He only wishes he had reached out and touched the downy fur beneath the creatures ears. 

 

He hopes to see the wolf again. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Those thoughts are forgotten when school comes back around. 

 

Tuesday morning he wakes up and doesn't drag his feet for the first time in a couple days. Going back to school lifts his spirits pretty high. This time around he wouldn’t be living on campus like he did freshman year. Opting out to live with his grandma would giving him security knowing she was being taken care of and offered more privacy than dorms did. He had his fair share of awkward encounters, especially rooming with Jaehyun who had company over a lot, and not the fun kind. Johnny dealt with it regardless, he loved Jaehyun but not being around his purely sexual partners. Before school started back up he drove over to Taeil’s house and had his hair trimmed and dyed a little darker than before. “It made his skin stand out,” Taeil claimed, probably only because he wanted to practice with hair dye. That was fine by Johnny, he had no problem playing guinea pig especially for his friends. 

 

The commute to the campus was pretty simple, just about a fifteen minute drive. He made sure to get his school bag together the night before so he wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning. Sometimes he can barely remember his keys. He decides on stopping in at the student building to visit Yuta. There's a small Starbucks on the campus so he goes there first to get something refreshing. He’s trying to decide what kind of drink to buy for his friend when someone taps his back. Sometimes he forgets how much of a giant he really is, but moments like this where he has to look down to see someone are excellent reminders. 

 

The boy is lanky with broad shoulders. He wonders how anyone can pull off such an odd color for hair, a silvery grey. He wears a long sleeve black tee that gives him paws the way they hang over his hands. He's adorn in silver jewelry, necklaces rings and bracelets. Johnny is keen to his style, simple but slightly gothic. He realizes he's probably been staring, and missed whatever was said to him. 

 

“Um, sorry can you say that again?” he says awkwardly, hoping his weirdness won't scare off the other. 

 

The boy gives a half smile, gesturing to one of the bookshelves pressed up against the rustic brick walls. “I wanted to read that book at the top of the shelf,” he trails, “But I couldn’t really reach.” 

 

Johnny is distracted. He gets the slight feeling that he knows him from somewhere, probably from one of his lectures. After all they had pretty large amounts of students in them. Nonetheless, he makes his way over to the other side of the shop and points to the bookshelf. “That one?” he asks quietly, and the boy nods. He pulls it off the shelf and hands it to him. The cover says, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a book Johnny read back in Chicago. 

 

“Good choice,” he says with a light laugh, “It's a really good book.” 

 

They stand there awkwardly for a few seconds, and Johnny decides he’d better ask his question before he misses his chance. 

 

“Do I know you from somewhere?” 

 

The other shrugs, running his fingers over the dusty cover of the book. “Maybe, I do go to school here,” he says nonchalantly. “My name is Taeyong. Lee Taeyong.” 

 

The name doesn't sound familiar to Johnny but that doesn't mean much. He’s always been better with faces than names. Taeyong reaches a hand out to shake the taller's, but draws it back immediately, supplying his other hand instead.  _ It must be hard to shake with all that jewelry _ Johnny thinks to himself. 

 

“I’m Johnny Suh,” he adds, “It’s really nice to meet you.” 

 

Taeyong smiles, finally making eye contact with Johnny. His eyes are doe like; big and pretty. He tries to ignore the way his head spins at his beauty. Although it doesn't seem like they met before it feels so nostalgic and strange. If he didn’t know better, he’d write it off as a strange case of deja-vu. The moment passes, and although his mind is cloudy he manages to order the coffee he was seeking.  It doesn’t take very long for his order to be made and called out, so he’s on his way to see Yuta before he knows it. As he opens the door to the crisp winter air he turns around to wave to his newly made friend. However, the boy had already disappeared. 

 

_ “Whats wrong with me,”  _ Johnny wonders for the nth time this past week. He writes his distress off as nerves of the semester, along with the odd event that happened Saturday. 

 

He doesn't think too much about it, his mind wavering on the musky smell of winter and Lee Taeyong. 


	2. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If he remembers correctly from his science class he has about ten minutes before he gets frostbite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy I’m updating again cause I’m really into this

A deep howl wakes Johnny from his sleep in the middle of the night. The moon is shining brightly, large and round like a globe. It’s beautiful, almost like some sort of intricate song. It’s sad that a chorus of other wolves don’t join in; but Johnny understands that being alone doesn’t always mean you’re lonely.

  
  
  
  


As he arrives to class in the morning he surveys the classroom with sleepy eyes. He always makes sure to get there early so he can grab a seat in the front. Although the classroom was filled with over 200 warm bodies, sitting in the two front rows made it feel a little smaller. It’s usually the same few students that occupy the front, so he greets the girl next to him with a smile. He’s used her notes more than a few times and he’s glad she has nice handwriting. 

 

It’s not until everyone fills the classroom that Johnny realizes one of the seats in the front row was cold and empty. Someone usually sits there, he thinks, and his brain supplies the name Taeyong for him. He’s shocked when he realizes that although they sit less than 10 feet away from each other, they’ve never spoken until recently. He never really got the phrase, “it’s a small world,” until today. 

 

Luckily for him the lecture goes by fast in a blur. He takes a few notes here and there, wanting to make sure that he was able to remember the content when he needed it. He sends a quick text to the group chat to make sure everyone is still going to meet at the dining hall, and then he’s off to be social. 

 

When he gets there he can hear Jaehyun’s lunch tray clatter against the table, the sounds of the cafeteria loud and annoying. He sits down, eyeing the small amount of food Johnny is eating. Nonetheless he smiles and greets everyone. Sicheng moves his backpack aside so everyone can sit comfortably. Conversation comes naturally, ranging from studies, to classes, to drama. Johnny tries his hardest to pay attention but he finds himself zoning out, a pair of scared eyes looming in his mind. He still remembers the way the animal had stood there, almost testing him, willing him to cross the boundaries and follow him. 

 

“Hello,” Doyoung exaggerates, hand coming up to swing back and forth between his eyes, “Earth to Johnny?’

 

He watches as his friend cocks his head muttering quietly, “were you even listening?”

 

The taller racks his brain, trying to come up with some sort of excuse for his very  _ rude  _ habit of zoning out when something is on his mind. But, they knew him well enough to know that there is something bothering him. He promises to tell them about the encounter he'd experienced at some point, but for now, he’d better keep it to himself. 

 

“Sorry, I was just thinking.” 

 

“We know,” Jaehyung says quietly with a small laugh, that doesn't really meet his eyes. 

 

Its quiet for a few minutes, everyone focusing on eating quietly and trying to forget the awkwardness that seeped into their lunchtime. Jaehyun finally breaks it, setting down his pair of chopsticks and sighing. 

 

“That kid you’ve been talking about, Taeyong was his name?” 

 

Johnny nods in response, urging him to continue with an odd look. He’s not really sure to where this is going. 

 

“I heard he’s been missing for awhile. I mean, he’s an adult and a college student so no one has placed a report yet, but isn’t it just kind of scary?” Jaehyun continues, “He kind of just went MIA.” 

 

_ Missing? _

 

How could he have gone missing in the short amount of time since he saw him last? In this small town everyone knew each other and no one was left out.  _ And yet, Taeyong was an enigma.  _

 

Johnny tries to ignore the abrupt way his heart sinks to the absolute bottom of his chest. Has it really been almost a week since they has their last encounter? It  feels so strange. He seemed fine when they met for the first time but no one truly knows what a person experiences in the safety of their own minds. If anyone knew that it was Johnny. Even still, he wonders where Taeyong could have gone. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


His TV drones on in the background, something about temperatures dropping below freezing tonight. They’ve been warned to stay inside as a blizzard is possible to happen. Knowing the weather, there isn't a doubt in his mind about how dangerous it would be to drive on the roads. Johnny can't help but think about the wolf he saw, wondering if it was able to find some shelter away from the storm. That last thing he’d want is to never see the creature again. His phone rings from somewhere on the other side of his room, illuminating his room for a few short seconds.

 

He checks his notifications, hoping to see one from his grandmother, knowing she took a short visit to his aunt's house. 

 

It reads: “Yungho, I’ll be staying here tonight. I know you’ll be okay, heat up dinner in the oven. Love you.” 

 

_ Short and sweet,  _ he thinks. 

 

With that being said, he pulls open his door and makes his way down the steps. The wooden floor is cold on his feet and makes him shiver slightly. Before he goes into the kitchen he turns up the thermostat with hopes that the house will warm up. Johnny was becoming increasingly bored being alone in the house, but he didn't want anyone to risk their safety coming over to keep him company although he knows all of his friends would do it for him. The biggest part of living with his grandma that he disliked was the house being unbearably quiet, every sound amplified and dramatic. 

 

As he opens the fridge to find the dinner his grandmother prepared earlier in his day he thinks about Taeyong. Where could anyone go in such a small town where they couldn't be found? The only place he can think of is out. He hopes it's not where most other missing people end up, their bodies mangled by forest animals. 

 

Through the sliding doors in the kitchen he can see the snow blowing around at incredible speeds, almost 40 miles per hour if he remembers what the newscaster said correctly. He only remembers one stom like this from when he was a child. It seemed much more whimsical when he was young he supposes. He sets the glass pan into the oven, the heat hitting his face as he shuts the door. He decides to wash the dishes as he waits, scrubbing the dishes with a yellow sponge. His grandmother didn't have a dishwasher. Most older people settled for doing things by hand, which although is time consuming, sometimes gives better results. Since moving in Johnny tried to help as much as he could with housework even though his Grandmother insisted otherwise. They compromised that she’d keep the house tidy as long as he would run her errands. Johnny feels as if he'll never be able to pay her back for all she has done for him. 

 

He finds himself turning on a movie for background noise, not being able to bear the silence like he usually can. It's not until he relaxes that that he hears tapping on the back door. 

 

_ Tap. _

 

_ Tap. _

 

_ Tap.  _

 

Johnny ignores it the first few times, betting that its the wind blowing things into the glass. It doesn’t creep him out until he sees the figure standing at the door. He gets up from the couch, kicking the blanket off his legs and pulls the blinds open abruptly. The motion sensor light goes off, and he's met with a wolf. As he kneels down he's not sure if he imagines the scent of the woods, earthy and heavy through the glass or if he can really smell it. Those big brown eyes stare back at him, almost longing.  _ Longing for something he doesn’t quite understand.  _

 

“You keep coming back,” he says quietly, not sure if he's talking just to himself or not,  _ “why?” _

 

It's not like he could really answer, but it's almost like he does when he blinks in response. 

 

Johnny cracks open the door, praying he doesn't frighten the animal, cringing as a cold blast of air enters the room. Wet snowflakes sneak in, wetting the tile. The wolf looks curious as Johnny squeezes his hand through the small opening, wanting so desperately to touch. Unlike the movies the wolf doesn't snarl or growl and  _ definitely  _ does not bite. Instead it looks very hesitant, but allows Johnny to run his large hand through the fur behind its ears. His outercoat is rough and worn, slightly wet from the environment. As he scratches lightly he can feel incredibly soft hairs beneath. Johnny can feel as the animal presses closer, clearly leaning into the touch. He’s not quite sure what goes through his mind was the stands up, pulling the door open all the way. 

 

The only barrier between the two is now removed, yet they still stand on two opposite side of what feels like the universe. The storm is blaring, whipping the blinds around aggressively, along with Johnny's hair that blows into his face. 

 

The wolf,  _ his wolf,  _ ponders the situation before turning his head to look back at the stretch of grass and trees behind his grandmother's house almost as if to say,  _ I can’t. For the second time in a row, he dashes off, a blur of white and grey.  _

 

Johnny shuts the door and pieces together his mind. What was he going to do with a wild animal in the house?  _ What was he thinking?  _ The answer, he tells himself, is that he wasn’t. 

 

As he remembers that he still has a dish in the oven, he also tries to recall  _ where he’s seen those eyes before.  _

  
  
  
  
  
  


The more he thinks about it, the less he understands. So, he doesn't think. He drowns himself in school, studying almost as much as he works. Much like Yuta, Johnny did work study on his school's campus, finding it much more flexible for his schedule and better paying than working in a shop. He gets better grades than he's ever gotten before when he goes through his strange phase, even causing Jaehyun to ask him for tutoring lessons. It's sort of uplifting to see that if he works hard at something he can definitely succeed. He sees his grandmother much less since his aunt is in town for little while, but he's glad to see her get out and live her life without his disturbances. 

 

He comes home in the middle of the day to an empty house, setting his bag down on the couch after toeing off his shoes. He’s hungry and a little tired so he settles for ordering a pizza and going up to his room. There really isn't much to do when his friends are busy with significant others and he hasn’t dated since high school. He figures it's fine and whenever someone comes into his life it’ll be meant to happen. 

  
  


When he gets tired of eating he rolls over onto his back, preparing himself for a short nap before he does his homework. He doesn't get undressed and climb beneath the sheets like he usually would, settling for throwing a blanket on top of himself and closing his eyes. It doesn’t take long for him to drift off into a dreamless sleep. 

 

Thats is, until he wakes up to a pained scream. 

 

Unsure of it he was dreaming or not, he rubs his eyes so hard he sees stars. 

 

If his mind really isn't playing tricks on him he’d better make sure everything’s okay. He slips on a pair of shoes and a jacket, unsure of the weather. With global warming it's been sunny and warm then frosty and freezing. Johnny feels slightly uneasy as he creeps down the steps, not really knowing what to expect. He doesn't see anything in the house, so he tugs the backdoor open and feels the snow crinkle beneath his boots. _ It sort of sounded like the noise could’ve come from back here  _ he thinks, hoping that whoever was screaming like that was alright, although he doubts it. It's been awhile since he stepped foot in the small patch of trees behind the house. When he was younger he used to play and hide back there but eventually he grew out of it with age. It's much more ominous now that he realizes anything could be in there. Despite that he continues, stopping to look at what seems to be prints from his wolf. His blood runs cold when he also sees human footprints.  _ What person in their right mind would come back here?  _ He follows them anyway, feeling dizzy when he sees blood. 

 

There's an odd object glimmering in the snow, and as he leans down to pick it up he realizes that its a ring. He recognizes it from somewhere, running a hand through his hair in a sad attempt to call where he remembers it from back to mind. A flash from Starbucks pops into his mind, a small pale hand full of rings reaching to take a book from his hand.  _ Taeyong? _

 

He wonders if he really wants to continue any further. He should probably stop here, go back, and call the police. He thinks about Jaehyun declaring his disappearance just a few days before, shaking his head as he steps forward.

 

It must be a coincidence. Wolves are relatively harmless unless provoked and he doesnt think that Taeyong is the type to bait a wild animal. But, he could be wrong. What does he know after all? 

 

The spots of blood are more frequent and fresher the further he ventures. 

 

As odd as it is he spots a pile of clothes strewn across the forest floor. From what he sees they belong to a male. Johnny wonders what he's doing as he picks up the shirt, sort of small and dark blue. He sets it back down, head snapping at the sound of a small whimper. It's not until then that he notices a figure lying on the ground,  _ an animal.  _ As he steps closer he realizes its his wolf. His stomach drops when notices the dark red gash across his stomach. He panics, running over and immediately tearing off his jacket. He balls it up and presses it to the wound, hoping that the pressure would help with the blood loss. 

 

“Are you okay?  _ What happened?”  _

 

Hes stupid to expect a response from an animal but he asks anyways, feeling relieved when the animal turns his head to look at him.  _ He's alive. _

 

If he remembers correctly from his science class he has about ten minutes before he gets frostbite. Even a completely healthy person that's not dressed correctly for the weather in these temperatures wouldn’t survive very long. So he thinks  _ fast. _

 

As carefully as he can he hauls the animal onto his back, careful to avoid touching the  _ very  _ open wound. He thanks his tall build, gym class, and the fact that his wolf doesn't weigh very much and runs as fast as he can. He throws open the back door and sets the animal down on the tiles. He's trying to think of the nearest animal hospital and remembers that they have some sort of first aid kit in the bathroom. He throws everything out of the cabinet, and it would almost be comical if the situation hadn’t been so scary. The kit slips out of his blood covered hands a few times before he's able to pull out some gauze. He pats himself on the back for turning up the heat the other day since the house was now warm and him nor his wolf are at risk. Johnny is searching for the alcohol hurriedly as he hears another ear piercing scream like the one earlier, except much closer.  _ And scarier.   _

 

It doesn't take him very long to fly down the stairs and get back into the living room. He’s not really sure what he was expecting to see, but it wasn't a naked convulsing Lee Taeyong lying in front of his patio door in the place of his wolf. 

  
  
  
  



	3. Porcelain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can’t go,” Taeyong breathes, “I’m a freak.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola it’s late but I wanted to post this for you guys. I SWEAR I’ll fix the typos and make sure it flows better but it’ll be in the morning T_T I’m the only person that reads my work before I post it lol

_ “Taeyong?”  _ He whispers, more to himself than the other person in the room.  _ Could he even call him that?  _

 

The shock almost distracts him from the growing scarlet pool of blood, thick and dark. He snatches his grandmother’s throw blanket off the couch, kneeling down to wrap Taeyong in the fabric so he can figure out what to do. The smaller person flinches, before relaxing when he realizes that Johnny isn’t going to hurt him. Wanting to soothe him, he pushes the silver strands of hair out of his clammy face. 

 

Taeyong seizes in his arms as he lifts his body onto the couch hoping it would be slightly more comfortable. His brain hurts as he tries to reason with himself that what he’s seeing isn’t  _ and couldn’t possibly be real.  _

 

What he does know, however, is he doesn’t have any time to waste. 

 

“We have to go. We can’t stay here,” Johnny panics, speaking more to himself than the other individual in the room, “you won’t make it.” 

 

He’s already patting his pants hurriedly in search of his phone, car keys,  _ something.  _ A soft voice draws his attention away for a short second. 

 

“Can’t go,” Taeyong breathes,  _ “I’m a freak.”  _

 

While extremely harsh he does hold a valuable point. If Johnny was reacting this way and had slightly more insight than others he couldn’t imagine how a nurse would react, even worse the  _ doctor.  _ They don’t really have very many options and Johnny was in no way surgically skilled as much as he wishes he was. It takes a while before a certain person pops into his mind. He steps into the hallway, lingering for a second afraid that if he blinked Taeyong would disappear. 

 

The phone rings three times exactly before Yuta picks up, voice hushed, “I’m in class but I know you don’t call unless there’s something important,” he continues, “what’s up?”  

 

Johnny winces at the way his voice quivers as he speaks, “Remember how you helped me before,”He starts, hating the way he fumbles over his words; wishing he could get himself together for Taeyong, “I need you to do me a favor.” 

 

Yutas voice hitches on the other line, probably in confusion and fear. “You didn’t…” he trails off clearly not wanting to continue, “hurt yourself again right?”

 

A flash from a dark time in his life appears in his head, but he snaps out of it before he gets too deep. “It’s not about me,” he says softly, “please just come.” 

 

Taeyong makes a pained noise in the background and with that he hangs up with a short, “gotta go.” His hands are wet with sweat and blood as he tosses his phone aside, sneaking back into the living room in order to avoid startling the other. He grimaces, his heart racing at the thought of the smaller bleeding out. Although he’s dumbfounded and his mind is clouded, something tells him to hold Taeyong tight. So he does. He knows his clothes are stained red with something he can never cleanse, but he can’t imagine what the other must be feeling.  _ Johnny isn’t even entirely sure how he ended up in this situation.  _

 

“You’re my wolf.” He says quietly without thinking, cringing at how possessive and odd it sounds coming out of his mouth. He hopes Taeyong wasn’t listening. 

 

The smaller laughs weakly, clearly pained by his wound. “I am.” 

 

He stops himself from asking what happened, knowing that pushing the other would only make everything worse. The confirmation, though, that he  _ wasn’t  _ crazy and  _ wasn’t  _ dreaming was enough to keep him hanging on. His mind is bent. Werewolves weren’t real. Humans were humans and wolves were wolves. And yet, here Taeyong was. His body feels limp in Johnny’s much larger arms, causing him to lift Taeyong’s tiny wrist from beneath the blanket and feel for a pulse. 

 

“I’m alive.” He says softly, causing Johnny to tear his hand back like he’s been burned. He isn’t really sure why he can feel his cheeks heating up at the thought of being caught. 

 

He can hear the door open, causing his blood run cold before he hears the telltale sign of Yuta’s backpack dropping to the floor. 

 

_ “Johnny?”  _

 

Taeyong doesn’t react to the sound of Yuta’s voice like Johnny thought he would. He’s still breathing which eases his mind slightly but the lingering fear of him going unconscious still stands. His skin looks so pale it’s almost like porcelain. 

 

“In here,” he says, but not too loud incase he startles the boy in his lap. 

 

Yuta peeks his head in the doorway, clearly just as puzzled as Johnny. He pulls his face into a pained wince and mutters,  _ “what happened?”  _

 

Johnny shakes his head in response, wishing he knew himself. “We don’t have time.” 

 

Yuta reaches for his backpack in response, pulling open the zippers to reveal a backpack full of medical supplies. “I uhh didn’t really know what to bring,” he admits, “so I just threw out the books.” It’s endearing Johnny thinks, watching the way Yuta empties out his backpack on the table. He gives Johnny an odd look, something nervous but also brave. “Where can we do this?” 

 

Johnny gestures towards the stairs leading up to his bedroom. “You know where to go,” he says softly, knowing Yuta doesn’t want him to follow. It’s something about not being able to focus well with others in the room. Which makes sense to Johnny but he doesn’t know how much information Yuta will gather on Taeyong while they’re alone. He trusts him,  _ wholeheartedly,  _ but he figures Taeyong’s secret is something that isn’t his to tell. 

 

As he lifts Taeyong from the couch he notices he’s gone out of consciousness. Before his heart stops completely Johnny watches for the rise and fall of the smaller’s chest, letting out a small breath of relief when he’s still breathing. 

 

There’s not really much time to think so Johnny climbs two steps at a time, nudging open the door to his room with his boot, still wet with snow. Yuta flicks on the light behind him, leaving his supplies on the desk before he retreats in search of a towel. When he comes back he smooths it out over Johnny’ sheets. “It’s not the best, but it’s going to have to do. You can set him down now.” 

 

Johnny follows his friends words, taking one last look before he steps aside. Yuta peels the blood soaked blanket back to reveal a angry gash across Taeyongs pale skin. He wants to look away from the bruising skin around it, blooming purple and green; a rainbow of dangerous colors. The blankets and his jacket were enough pressure to stop the bleeding temporarily, but once it’s exposed it’ll definitely start up again. 

 

“Is he going to be alright?” He asks, finally breaking the long painful silence. 

 

Yuta nods curtly, pulling the fabric down knowingly. Johnny can tell he’s trying his hardest to avoid shooing him away but he’s got that look in his eyes that says “get going,” so he savors the vision of Taeyong peaceful and breathing before he shuts the door behind him. His mind is flooded with questions but he chooses to ignore them until he’s ready to figure out what exactly is going on.  _ Whenever that may be.  _ Either way he turned the page or flipped the script there was no clean cut answer to what he had experienced earlier. Yuta is going to have some questions,  _ seriously,  _ so he might as well use this time to conjure up some sweet talk that makes him forget that he’s performing a questionable surgery on a missing person.  _ That Johnny somehow found.  _

 

As much as he wishes he did, Johnny knows nothing about Taeyong. Other than that his smell as a human is just as deep and wild as he remembers from the first time they met.  _ When he was still a wolf.  _

 

It’s not until now that his wolf’s eyes flash into his mind, big and round. That familiarity he couldn’t place his finger on was now in his bedroom. 

 

Was he okay? 

 

Johnny wasn’t sure. 

 

The air inside the house was dense and suffocating, the heavy smell of blood seeping through the halls like the frigid air. He steps out onto the back patio, taking a short second to compose his mind free from guilt and fear. The trees seem to whisper to him as the wind rustles their branches. The sun hangs high in the sky like an ornament. It reminds Johnny that although it feels like he’s aged five years it’s been less than three hours.  _ How could so much change in such a short amount of time?  _

 

His brain goes into overdrive as he takes into sight the mess of the living room. As morbid as it sounded it looked like a crime scene. Dried red blood covered the tiles, Johnny’s stained jacket strewn carelessly across the couch. He starts by figuring out what to do with the couch. He settled on mixing detergent and water together and leaving it to cure in the couch for as long as possible. As he cleans up the rest of the mess he finds himself wishing he knew Taeyong was doing okay. Sure he was in good care, but he was probably scared out of his mind. Whatever had happened to him wasn’t self inflicted, even Johnny knew that, which meant that someone intentionally tried to hurt him.  _ Maybe even kill him.  _

 

Both sound horrible.

 

It makes his heart hurt so he clears it from him mind, mopping the floors so everything is cleaned up by the time his grandma gets home.  _ His grandma.  _ Johnny realizes she might return home sooner rather than  _ later  _ and hopes that she won’t ask a ton of questions that he’s unprepared to answer. If he did a diligent enough job everything would seem normal. The couch is stained, but nowhere near as bad as before. If he arranges the pillows perfectly it’s almost unnoticeable. Neither of them really used the room that often anyways, especially his grandma who loved spending time in the kitchen. 

 

Taking all the soiled items to the dumpster, he sighs. It’s not until he’s outside for the second time that he realizes that the inside of the house was incredibly hot. Almost sweltering. He was so overtaken by the earlier events that he didn’t even notice. He’d have to ask Taeyong if it was too warm for him. Johnny wishes he could be useful like Yuta and help the silver haired boy incredibly but he just doesn’t have that skill set yet. What he can do is nurse him back to health with his mediocre cooking abilities. 

 

Just as he’s wondering how much longer it will take to finishing stitching, he hears his bedroom door open. He can also hear Yuta walking about, and then the faucet turning on. He wants to race up the stairs but for his friend he calms himself down and takes one step at a time. When he reaches the top he peeks into the bathroom, watching as Yuta dries his hands and tosses the bloody towel into his dirty hamper. The blonde looks calm so Johnny assumes everything went well. When Yuta looks up and clutches his chest in fear he realizes how creepy he was acting. 

 

“You scared me, Johnny! Don’t creep up on people like that,” he scolds with no real venom behind his voice, “I know you want to see him. He was unconscious for most of it but just in case I numbed the area,” For a second he looks like he has something more to say as he puts his hand on Johnny’s shoulder, but with a shake of his head the emotion from his face is gone. “If you notice anything weird give me a call.” 

 

The tone of Yuta’s voice alludes to more than stitches, but Johnny plays dumb and nods along. Despite his friend’s loving and gentle exterior he wasn’t a fool. If something was off or strange he would definitely notice. As much as Johnny hopes to keep Taeyong’s secret he knows its going to be incredibly hard. But, for now, he mutters a soft “I promise,” and thanks Yuta from the bottom of his heart for all he’s done. 

 

He gives Johnny one last look as if to say, “we’ll talk later,” and he’s off. 

 

_ And then there was two.  _

 

Johnny lets out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding as he pushes the door open fully to reveal a sleeping Taeyong. He’s lying on his stomach, chest bare underneath the blankets. There’s a mop of silver strands on his pillow, resting comfortably. It was starting to get late, but Johnny didn’t want to disturb his solitude. His grandmother would be excited to hear that he had a friend over. If he told her that Johnny could watch over him for a little while to make sure everything is okay and maybe learn a little more about the other boy. 

 

He decides to take advantage of this time, grabbing his toiletries and towel before he heads off to take a shower and scrub the blood and grime off of his body. As he catches his reflection in the mirror he’s horrified. He looks like he’s been through war. 

 

After the warm water and steam engulf him he starts to feel more human. He lets it pelt his back and relieve his tension, letting out a soft sigh. He doesn’t take too long, quickly moisturizing and tugging on a pair of sweatpants when he’s done. He’s toweling off his hair as he digs through his drawer in search of a shirt for not only himself, but Taeyong. 

 

As he’s tugging the material over his head he hears his sheets rustling and a low whistle. He almost jumps out of his skin at the noise, but relaxes when he sees that Taeyong feels well enough to joke. 

 

The smaller is looking at him curiously, propped up with the sheets pooling in his lap. “Why do you use all of those soaps when you smell really good naturally?” 

 

“Huh?” Johnny lets slip out of his lips, half confused and half flattered. He tries to hide his blush but he can’t help the burning flame of his cheeks. He finishes pulling his shirt over his head, clearly shaken by the others words. “I don’t know, I just like to.” He finished finally. 

 

Taeyong doesn’t seem content with that answer but he doesn’t question any further. He must be aware that if anyone should be asking questions it’s Johnny. He tosses a shirt at Taeyong, and watches as it lands in his lap. “It’s the smallest one I have, so I hope it’s not too big.” 

 

The smaller thanks him quietly and tugs it on without thinking twice. 

 

“I was going to ask if you wanted to take a shower but I’m not really sure whether you can get those wet or not,” he says, referring to the stitches as he brushes out his hair in the mirror. “I’ll ask Yuta.” 

 

Taeyong nods his head in agreement. It’s weird how although they don’t know each other very well at all they can easily get along. “I wanted to thank your friend but I wasn’t awake.” 

 

Johnny nods in response, walking over to sit awkwardly at the edge of his bed so he doesn’t crush Taeyong’s toes beneath the sheets. “It’s okay I’m sure you’ll see him around.” 

 

In his own home, Johnny feels slightly out of place. Taeyong’s company is in sharp contrast to his usual serene and slightly lonely weekdays. They’re tip toeing around the elephant in the room, dancing on the edge of curiosity. One of them has to get the ball rolling and if it’s got to be Johnny then so be it. 

 

_ “So we’re just going to ignore earlier?”  _

 

The other shrugs slightly, shoulders heavy with his burden. He thinks for a second, probably wondering where to start but settles on scratching his head rather cutely. He looks at Johnny expectantly, silently encouraging him to ask questions.  _ Help me,  _ his eyes say. So Johnny racks his brain for something,  _ anything,  _ irritated when he realizes all the thoughts and confusion from earlier have left his mind. They should start with the basics. 

 

“What are you?” He asks, cringing at how blunt and insensitive it sounded coming out of his mouth. He wanted to find a better way to ask. 

 

Taeyong gives a small smile that doesn’t meet his eyes completely. 

 

“I'm not a werewolf or anything like that. I am just as human as I am wolf. I don’t know why I am who I am, but I’ve been this way since I was pretty young. I didn’t start turning until I was about eleven though, so I spent at least some of my childhood as a normal kid would.” 

 

Johnny frowns at the word normal. Although he wasn’t really sure what “turning” entailed, he knew that it definitely alienated him from the rest of society. As much as everyone wants to be normal or practical, it’s something out of their reach. “What do you mean by  _ turning?”  _

 

“Turning is when I go from me to a wolf. It sounds pretty cool, huh? It is, minus the excruciating pain of your bones popping in and out of place and all of those fun things,” He says with a sad smile, “It used to be pretty black and white. When it’s cold I’m a wolf, and when it’s warm I am  _ me.  _ But with the weather acting so strange my body’s clock is all out of whack.” 

 

Johnny nods along, bidding his slower brain to keep up with Taeyong’s words. He knows that everything won’t be black and white but he wants so badly to understand. He decides on using the small bits of information he gathered from their encounters, starting from the night near his grandmother's house. Taeyong is right about the weather, the temperatures dropping and rising without the trace of a pattern. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to wonder what form he’ll take every morning.

 

“So when I found you,” Johnny starts, “you had just changed?”

 

Taeyong grimaces, but speaks nonetheless. “Yes, but then things got complicated.”

 

Johnny bids him to continue with curious eyes. 

Taeyong looks so small as he folds his hands over the blanket, playing distractedly with a loose thread from the sheets to soothe his mind. Johnny wants to reach across the bed and pull him into a hug. 

 

_ “Have you heard of trappers?” _

 

Johnny has, from the short amount of time he spent with his grandpa before he passed. They would hike behind the house in the summer, promising to be careful and return home safely in time for lunch. Most of it was fun as he learned about flowers and different kind of insects. The elder taught him survival tips and how to tell the directions apart by where the sun set. It was fun, and whimsical. Although its a blur he also remembers the way his grandfather shook his head sadly and tried to shield Johnny from the poor rabbit caught in the small trap. Being an intolerant child he peeked anyways, but it was too late. Although the flame was slowly dying out behind the creature’s eyes, it kept fighting against the inevitable. The squirming only made the jaws close tighter and there was nothing they could do. 

 

When he pictures Taeyong like that; trapped and scared his insides turn over on themselves. How could anyone treat another living creature like that? 

 

“They hurt you, didn’t they?” 

 

The way Taeyong’s eyes swell up with tears he knows he’s right. 

 

He reaches across the bed, leaning awkwardly to envelop the smaller male into his warmth. Taeyong hesitates at first, but eventually relaxes and lets himself go. Johnny’s fingers skitter over his wound, hoping to heal it with his energy. It’s warm and everything they needed, Taeyong’s tears seeping through the cotton of Johnny’s t-shirt. He’s not sure if anyone has ever held him like this, but if not he’s glad to be the first. 

 

Johnny knows it’s soon and they haven’t know each other for very long, but if he’s done it once he’ll do it again. He sets out of protecting Taeyong. In all the ways he possibly could.

 

If he had one valuable asset it was his compassion. 

 

Without thinking his hand comes up to card trough Taeyong’s soft hair, familiarly striking his fingertips. Taeyong keens, sniffling softly and he pushes back against the tallers hand. 

 

“I-uh,  _ sorry.”  _ He says in realization, mentally cursing at himself for being so touchy, “when you were a wolf you liked that.” Johnny finishes awkwardly. 

 

He thinks about how hard he would laugh if someone had told him yesterday he would be referring to a person as an animal seriously. Honestly, he feels a bit crazy himself. 

 

“It’s okay, I still kind of like it.” Taeyong laughs lightly, tugging the blankets further up his body, “I’m uh not wearing pants.” 

 

Johnny can’t help it so he laughs.  _ Hard.  _ He apologizes for forgetting as he searches for a pair that won’t hang too lowly on the smaller’s waist, remembering that he might still have a pair from when he was in middle school around the house. It was before one of his many growth spurts that left his pajamas as high waters. 

 

He returns with the pants, but also a few random snacks and bottles of water from the fridge downstairs. He hands Taeyong the clothing, letting himself out of the room in order to give him privacy. As he leans against the closed door he feels oddly at peace. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene

**Author's Note:**

> questions comments or concerns?


End file.
